Life is Hella Strange
by MisterMerlin
Summary: Chloe Price wakes up from a nightmare where a tornado destroys everything she's ever known. Is it just in her head or was it a glimpse into the future? Time is a unique thing, don't you think? Beware, the storm is coming. [Pricefield]
1. Chapter 1: It Starts With a Storm

**It Starts with a Storm**

 **Chapter 1**

 _Wet_

That's the first thing she thinks when she wakes up. Slowly opening her eyes, adjusting to the violent winds and freezing rain. Her knees are bloody and scraped while her head is pounding, her clothes are ripped and dirty, and despite the ran, she's sweating like she ran a marathon. Reaching up with her hand she feels a warm and sticky substance running down her face, pulling her hand back she saw crimson smeared on her palm. _Blood._ _Where the hell am I? What happened?_ Her thoughts were jumbled up, she couldn't remember a thing.

She peered through the thick trees, noticing an extremely bright light way up above her. _Is that the fucking lighthouse? Why the hell am I here?_ She scramblec onto her feet and moved forward, her head downcast while her hands protected her face from the rapid winds. Her eyes focusing on the trail as she slowly but surely trudges onward, the wind tearing across her body as if she was made of paper. Her head was still pounding, as if someone was beating her skull with a sledgehammer. _Okay, note to self, don't get high BEFORE the Vortex Club party._ She glanced up from her trail-watching to finally reach the top of the hill where the lighthouse was. She could see the wooden bench. She could see the huge white and red lighthouse. She could see Arcadia Bay. She could see- _Holy fucking shit. There is no goddamn way that's real, this is just a nightmare, just a real shitty nightmare._ She thinks in her panicked daze, desperately trying to piece together answers. But no, its as clear as day. Right in front of her was a tornado. A huge fucking tornado. Ripping through the water, shredding into the beach, on a warpath straight for Arcadia Bay. Her home.

She couldn't bring herself to move. Or scream. She's simply mesmerized. Everything would be destroyed. Her house, the shitty school Blackwell Academy, the Two Whales Diner- then it sinks in. Her mom. Everyone would die. This monstrosity would decimate everything.

Then it happens. The tornado reaches Arcadia Bay, the diner, her house, Blackwell Academy, buses and cars, telephone poles and trees are torn apart right in front of her. Yet she couldn't look away. She couldn't look away from the destruction of her whole life, everything she's ever known.

Something tears her gaze away from the tornado, she's not sure what it was, maybe a car or bus or...a boat. The next second seemed to freeze as the boat was hurtled in a wide arc over her head, colliding with the lighthouse. An extremely loud cracking sound was torn from the lighthouse as it toppled over in slow motion, looming over her. She closed her eyes and prayed out to whatever god there was that everyone in Arcadia Bay was safe. _Mom, I know I've been a pain in the ass but I-I love you so much. I hope you're okay and Dad, I'm comin-_

Then everything was gone.

* * *

Chloe jerked awake in her bed, sweat pouring down her face, plastering her aqua blue hair to her forehead. _Whoa what the fuck was that?! That seemed so real!_ She looked around her room, noticing every detail in the darkness. Her desk pushed into the corner to her left, clothes thrown everywhere, paintings and posters covering every inch of the walls, and a full length mirror next to her closet. _Just a dream, just a really shitty dream._

Chloe slowly rolled out of bed, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. She stretched, hearing several satisfying pops. Glancing around her room, her eyes land on a joint on her desk. _Ahhh, hmmm. No maybe later. Wouldn't do for Sargent Step-Douche to lecture me about smelling like trashy grass smokers, heh._ Chloe snorted at the thought before sighing and moving over to her closet and quickly dressing. She looked in the mirror to find herself staring back at her. Blue hair, white loose fitting tank top with a black skull on it, clearly showing off her full length tattoo on her right arm, ripped light blue skinny jeans, and her signature navy blue beanie and black boots. Making her way back across her room she snatched up some bracelets and jammed them on her right wrist before pocketing her phone and stashing the joint with a lighter in her back pocket, she finally stepped outside her room and started her way downstairs.

Not even halfway down she could already smell her mothers cooking. _Bacon, eggs, toast, and technically anything you could ever want, Mama Joyce Price can whip up_ Chloe thought proudly.

"Chloe!" Joyce hollered from inside the kitchen, clearly impatient.

"Yes mother, your precious little angel is awake and ready for her divine breakfast." Chloe grumbled sarcastically, walking into the kitchen, revealing Joyce standing by the toaster with her uniform on and David _Step-Douche_ already sitting at the table, watching her every move.

"Chloe hurry up and eat, I gotta be at the Diner early this morning!" Joyce exclaimed, glancing over her shoulder at Chloe.

"Aye aye dear Joyce!" Chloe mock saluted, diving into an already set plate of food while David was still watching her like a hawk.

"Say, o'l Step-Chap take a picture, lasts longer." Chloe rolled her eyes, as David narrowed his.

"What the hell did I say about having pot in my house, Chloe?" David said with an edge to his voice.

"Oh I don't know, David. Most likely something fucking stupid and this isn't your house asshole, its my mothers. You shouldn't even be here you f-

"Chloe!" Joyce bellowed, cutting her daughter off before she would say something she would regret.

"Woman hitting shithead deserves it." Chloe muttered under her breath, glaring at David.

"I gotta go, shit to do, grass to buy." She spat cheekily in Davids direction, standing and moving out of the kitchen and towards the front door.

"Wait, you haven't even finished your breakfast!" Joyce's voice echoed from the kitchen and down the hall.

"Feed it to the dog!" Chloe yelled back, slipping into her unbuttoned black jacket.

"We don't have a dog!" Joyce yelled in exasperation, moving into the kitchen doorway, Chloe's abandoned plate of breakfast in her hand.

"Oh, we don't dam-" Chloe's voice was cut off from the front door slamming behind her.

"Be careful," Joyce sighed under her breath, looking at the now closed door "Please."

* * *

Chloe made her way through the zigzagging streets of Arcadia Bay towards her destination, Blackwell Academy. _God, I fucking hate that place._ She rolled her eyes at the memory of the school, _It's honestly a big joke._

Her phone dings, informing her that she has a new text message. Glancing down she's rewarded with the sight of Nathan Prescott telling her that she has fifteen minutes to be at the girl's bathroom or 'else.' _What the hell you gonna do? Pull a Draco Malfoy and beg like a little girl about your family._ Chloe snorted at the image of a slicked back blonde haired Nathan Prescott waving around a stick. She swiftly grasped her phone and sent back a reply,

 **Chloe: Don't worry about me shit face, just bring the money.**

She tossed her phone over to the passenger seat in her beat up old red pickup truck.

Chloe finally arrived at Blackwell Academy or _Hell on Earth_ in her opinion. Parking in an open space she checked the time and noticed that it was 9:07, she has eight minutes until Nathan blows a casket. She quickly popped her phone into her pocket and jumped out of the truck, walking toward the entrance.

Moving through halls as quickly as she could without drawing much attention, not that it matters, what with everyone all caught up in their own lives, gossiping or whatever they do.

Halfway down the hall, next to a water fountain was standing Step-Dildo David in all his over paranoia glory.

 _"_ Shit" Chloe muttered, lowering her eyes and striding towards the girls bathroom. Before she entered she checked her phone again. 9:18.

She glanced back at David noticing him interrogating two skater kids. She turned back around and pushed the door open, stepping inside, noticing it was empty.

"Or else my ass" Chloe sighed, leaning up against one of the stalls. Not even a full minute later the door bursts open again, revealing an irritated Nathan Prescott.

"Oh goodie, you're here, never mind that you're late." Chloe said, rolling her eyes as she straightened up from her spot by the stall.

"Fuck off Price, sorry I have an actual life and friends, unlike some people." Nathan spat back.

"Go to hell," Chloe's face darkened. "Now that the introductions are all sorted out, lets talk bidness." She said, glaring daggers at Nathan.

"What do you want?" Nathan asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Did you even bother to read my text, dumbass? I know you got hella cash, I also know that you got drugs, and I may know that you're handing them out to students here. I wonder what your precious parents would do, knowing that their prized son was a fucked up drug dealing lunatic." Chloe just now got a good look at Nathan, with his hair messy and clothes wrinkled. His eyes were bloodshot and he was too pale.

"Shut your fucking mouth, bitch!" Nathan bellowed, stepping forward, hands clenched in fists at his sides

"Or what? What the hell can you do Nathan? Think you're some hard ass? Some guy who makes people bow? You're nothing, Nathan, nothing but a scared little boy." Chloe whispered mockingly

"I said shut the fuck up!" Nathan shouted, fumbling with something inside his jacket, before pulling out a silver handgun. "Do you know who you're messing with, bitch! Do you know who the fuck I am?" Chloe leaps back a step or two, her eyes wide in fear and panic as she looks at the barrel pointing right at her.

"W-what are you doing..put that down!" Her voice shaking in fear, she looks around wildly, but with nowhere to go, Nathan and specifically the gun were blocking her path to the door.

"Stop telling me what to do! I'm so sick of people trying to control me!" Nathan shouts, trembling in raw emotion.

"Get that thing out of my face!" Chloe says, pushing him back as hard as she could.

"Don't you fucking touch me, bitch! No one would even miss your punk ass!" He says, with a maniacal gleam in his eye, smoke peppering his breath.

The next second seemed to happen in slow motion.

"Hey-" Someone yelled from the back of the bathroom, but was cutoff as an ear shattering bang tears itself from the gun. Chloe jumps back and looks down at her body, but no, there was no bullet hole, no blood, nothing. She looks back up as her eyes widen in horror when she see's Nathan dropping to his knees, tears running down his face as he keeps whispering 'no' over and over again. The gun clatters to the ground, echoing off the walls as if every sound was enhanced. Then she hears it, the labored breathing. A drawn out heavy thud. Chloe turns around and finally see what the cause of the gunshot was.

A girls body lying lifelessly behind her.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys, MerlinsBeard here! Here the first chapter to my AU story for Life is Strange. I hope you enjoy and I'll try to get a chapter out every couple days, maybe make a schedule, but let's be honest here. I'm not that organized ;)**

 **I know some of the plot is similar to Parallels, I kind of used it as a guide. I'm new to LiS fanfics, don't judge me.**

 **Also here's some info that might clear up any questions:**

Regular Text

 _Thoughts_

 **Text Messages**

" " - Dialogue

' ' - Wording

 **Yes, Chloe is the one with the rewind power, not Max.**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoyed the first chapter and I'll see you all next time!**

 **Mr MerlinsBeard out :D**


	2. Chapter 2: Forgotten Wounds

**Forgotten Wounds**

 **Chapter 2**

 _The gun clatters to the ground, echoing off the walls as if every sound was enhanced. Then she hears it, the laboured breathing. A drawn out heavy thud. Chloe turns around and finally see what the cause of the gunshot was._

 _A girls body lying lifelessly behind her._

* * *

 _"_ O-oh my god." Chloe stood stock still as she stared at the rapidly growing puddle of blood. Her shocked eyes flick up to take notice of the girl, though she couldn't see her face as she was lying on her stomach. However, she could see the light grey jacket and simple skinny jeans. There was a camera bag strapped around one shoulder with the camera itself cracked lying next to the girl. _She's dead. She's fucking dead! Oh Christ, he just fucking shot her!_

There was an unnatural, eerie silence settling through the bathroom, as if the world around her paused. Chloe was unnerved by stillness and as she turned back around to face Nathan, she noticed something off.

Way off.

Everything around her was motionless, she could see Nathan completely frozen while in the process of falling backwards off his knees. His eyes wide with panic, guilt, and horror as he stared at the unmoving body. Chloe followed his gaze back to the girl, only now she noticed that the blood had stopped. _What the hell?! Am I dreaming?_

Then the unexpected happened.

As Chloe went to move forward, everything around her became a blur. She felt an unfamilar tug at the back of her skull as Nathan stood up only with his hand outstretching and the gun flying back into his open hand. The girl who was dead not even thirty seconds ago also stood, the bullet dislodging itself from her abdomen and flowing back into the barrel of the handgun. The girl then rewinded backwards into her hiding spot behind the stall. Nathan staggered back to his spot in front of her before returning the pistol to his jacket and promptly walked backwards out of the bathroom. All of this happening in the span of fifteen seconds.

Chloe lowered her arms, which she just noticed were stretched out in front of her, before feeling that tug in her head again, only now it was slightly more dignified.

She looked around with huge eyes, her mind speeding as she frantically tried to keep up. _Did I just rewind time?!_ She checked her phone and noticed that it was 9:12. It's like fate wanted her to have this second chance. This second chance to save an innocent life. But, if she wanted to save this girl then she needed to move now!

That was when she realized that she never saw the girl leave the bathroom. That meant...

Chloe all but sprang from her spot, racing to the back stall, revealing said girl in the process of snapping a photo of a beautiful, vibrant red butterfly resting on the hem of a water bucket in the corner.

The girl, clearly startled, leapt around to face Chloe.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I...I.." She trailed off, eyes widening to the size of two saucers. Chloe could feel her own, mirroring the girls as she drank in every single feature on her face, from the freckles scattered aross her cheeks, to the familiar timid hazel eyes. _Holy shit...there's no way.._ But now it all made sense as she connected the girl with the older camera to a younger girl with a brand new one, a girl looking to capture the whole world.

"Max?!" Chloe exclaimed, unbelievingly.

"Chloe?! Oh my god! It's really you!" Max stated using the same tone Chloe did.

Chloe suddenly felt an unknown pressure sieze her heart and squeeze the life out of her, painfully. If this was Max hiding here, then the girl that Nathan killed was... _No, no no no!_ A weight settled on her chest like a ton of bricks, her stomach plummeting to the ground.

Max must've sensed the change of the atmosphere as her face turned into one of concern when she saw Chloe's face darken.

"Chloe, are you..are you okay?" Max asked, suddenly feeling very awkward, considering they haven't seen or talked to one another in five years.

"Am I okay? Oh I don't know, I finally see my best...former best friend, whom I haven't seen in half a decade, whom left me right when my dad died, whom never once wrote or called or anything!" Chloe ranted in anger as old, forgotten wounds re-opened.

"Chloe, I'm really, really sorry. I kno-"

"Look, we can chat later, I'll drive you to my house." Chloe remembering about Nathan and that he was most likely on his way right that second.

"But I have classes, maybe aft-"

"Not anymore." Chloe cut Max off again as she rushed past her and pulled a fire alarm that she only now noticed being there as she was too focused on Max before.

"Chloe! What the hell, you can't just do that, you'll get into trouble!" Max admonished, despite her lips twitching into what looked like a small smile.

"It was for your own good." Chloe stated with a tone of finality

"Oh I'm sure, pull the fire alarm to save me from killer classes." Max giggled as she passed Chloe on her way out.

"You have no idea how far off you are." Chloe mumbled softly, the weight on her chest making itself known once again.

* * *

On their way out of the school, neither Chloe or Max say much as they focus on shoving past rushing students, fire alarm still blaring in their ears. Chloe kept her eyes trained on Max's back, seemingly avoiding the chance to spot either psychotic Prescott or Sargent Step-Douche.

After what seemed like ages they pulled themselves from the crowd of anxious students, moving toward the parking lot.

"So, uhm..which car is yours?" Max asked, trying to make small talk to rid the presence of the awkward silence.

"This Mustang right here." Chloe stated proudly, as she stopped beside a black Mustang with white stripes.

"Seriously!?" Max asked in facination, glancing at Chloe, only to see a mischevious glint in her eyes.

"No, my ride is that beat up old pickup truck behind you." Chloe sighed, pointing behind Max at the red truck.

"Oh..it's..nice." Max tried, blushing while she felt Chloe look at her.

"No it's not." Chloe said, blinking at Max as they stared at eachother before they both burst out into laughter.

"C'mon Maxeroni, onward to the Chloe-mobile." Chloe chuckled, pulling Max's sleeve towards the truck.

"Alright, alrigh-"

"Hey, Max! Can I talk to you for a sec?" A boy in a striped shirt asked nervously, seemingly appearing out of thin air.

"Oh, uh sure Warren." Max sighed inwardly, turning back to Chloe, "Hold on real quick please."

"Yeah, sure, I'll get the truck." Chloe eyed the boy named Warren with curiousity. She turned back and jogged over to her truck, hopping into the drivers seat. Chloe jammed the key into the ignition and backed out of the parking space and moved the truck to stop beside Max and Warren before rolling the windows down.

"Real sorry, Warren. I'll talk to you tomorrow, bye." Max said, parting with a small wave as she turned and practically ripped through the door to get inside the vehicle. Chloe noticed Warren's crestfallen face as he glumly turned and trudged back towards the school, shoulders slumped.

"What was that all about?" Chloe asked as she sped through the rest of the parking lot and pulled out onto the street, heading for her house.

"Oh, well..let's say that Warren doesn't take 'no' for an answer." Max sighed dejectedly, "He wanted to ask me out to the drive-in, again." She shook her head

"Sounds to me like someone has themselves an admirer." Chloe sniped playfully, chuckling at Max's embarassment.

"Oh shut up" Max rolled her eyes, smiling. It seemed surprising to both of them that conversation came so naturally, despite their seperation.

"Hey, does Joyce still work at the Two Whales?" Max asked out of the blue.

"Yeah, we can stop by there later. I've got some stuff to tell you and we can talk about everything." Chloe responded, glancing over at Max out of the corner of her eye.

"Chloe, I'm really sorry. I didn't want to leave you, espscially when you needed me most. You were my best friend, Chloe, I never wanted to leave you." Max turned in her seat to face Chloe.

"But you did, Max! I know you that your parents made you, but you could've at least called me. Or text or sent a letter! Anything to stay in touch, Max!" Chloe exclaimed, hurt and anger lacing through her as she remembered the day Max left.

"I did." Max said quietly

"You could've at least tri...you...what?" Chloe spluttered, shocked into silence from this revelation.

"I sent you a letter everyday for three months, Chloe. My parents said to give you space because of what happened with Willaim. So I did. I waited an extra month before sending you letter after letter. Eventually I stopped because I never got a reply. I thought you hated me, Chloe. I couldn't call you because I didn't have your number and everytime I would ask my parents they would tell me to give you your time. I thought you hated me." Max whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I..um..oh my god. You're..you're..ah serious?" Chloe asked, her throat constricting, making it hard to breathe.

"I never forgot you, Chloe, you were on my mind everyday. As the years passed slowly, I couldn't bring myself to even attempt to contact you."

"What? Why?" Chloe stuttered, still shell-shocked at what she was being told.

"Rejection. Hatred. Being ignored. I was scared, Chloe. Scared of what you would've thought of me. So I retreated into my shell, only being myself when I'm with my camera, I know it sounds nerdy, but that's how it was." Max revealed, unshed tears shining in her eyes.

"Oh my god, Max. I didn't know, I never knew. I didn't receive any of your letters. I..wow..um well that exlains a lot.." Chloe fell silent, letting the information sink in as she focused on the road.

* * *

After about a half an hour they finally arrived at Chloe's house. Pulling into the driveway, Chloe shifted over and watched Max's face.

"Its so nice to see it again." Max whispered in nostalgia, eyes darting across every detail of the outside of the house.

"Yeah, well, home shit home." Chloe sighed dramatically before playfully swatting Max's arm and dashing out of the truck, and making her way to the front door. Max followed closely, rearranging her bag to fit her camera in.

"We have the whole place to ourselves, mom is still at the Diner working and Step-Douche is probably stalking the outsides of Blackwell Academy with nightvision goggles searching for the cultprit who pulled the fire alarm." Chloe winked at Max

"Step-Douche?" Max asked in humor and curiousity.

"Mhm, my shitty step-dad. David Madsen, he's the security guard at Blackwell."

"Ohh, okay, yeah he's kind of..well serious." Max stated with a bemused expression.

"Thinks he's still at war or someshit. I don't pay too much attention to him, to be honest. Hence my lovely nickname." Max giggles at Chloe's antics.

"Okay, Super Max, let's head to my room. I gotta show you something." Chloe adopted a serious tone.

"Okay, lead the way, Che." Max announced following Chloe up the stairs.

Chloe grinned at the old nickname Max gave her, glad to have her best friend back by her side.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey all, MerlinsBeard here! I hope you all enjoyed the second chapter to Life is Hella Strange! These chapters are a little bit short so far and I'm really sorry, but I'm just now getting used to adding them and simply constructing them. Like how much of the story to add in a chapter or when I think it would be to end one. Nonetheless, hopefully later on in the story when we get to the real good stuff the chapter will start becoming longer.**

 **Also I just wanted to say that I have not created a schedule yet, so for now the chapters will be coming at random, but bear with me, I will most likely have one setup this coming weekend.**

 **And I just wanted to say, thank you for the kind words in your reviews! I read every one of them and I always take your guys's advice. You're simply too kind ;)**

 **Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2 and I'll see you next time.**

 **Mr MerlinsBeard out :D**


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